How quickly does context pay off? *using urgent services as an example

[ashammi228]

Every manager is interested in how long it takes to recoup investments in advertising. Let's try to understand this issue using two cases from our agency as an example.

Case 1 - refrigerator repair
The client contacted our agency in December 2020 for 2 usage of our employment database services at once: a website and advertising. For a quick service, they made a business card website in a short time, and he came for advertising on the eve of the New Year - 12/28/2020. Thanks to the prompt work of the managers, we launched on 01/03, at the peak of the holidays.

The beginning of the journey
The client had just started building a refrigerator repair business. Accordingly, there was no advertising, not even word of mouth. He runs the business himself. He immediately voiced the task - 2-3 orders a day.





The number of applications per day is unstable, usually 3-4 per day: there are days with no applications at all, there are days when the client does not have time to take everything.

We found that weather conditions affect the number of requests. We assumed that when it is warm and there is no place to store food, and the refrigerator is broken, the client makes a request immediately. If it is cold, then food is stored on the balcony and may not make a request right away.

In August, we saw a dependence on the competitive situation on the market: new competitors appeared - there were fewer applications.

We continue to work with the advertising campaign and maintain its quality
We monitor the quality of the advertising campaign: we regularly analyze search queries and check that there are no non-targeted ones.
We frequently update rates, as the sphere is very competitive. We strive to appear at least in 3rd place, as service centers are always in the first places.
We periodically increase rates for more expensive requests (for example, replacing a compressor or thermostat) so that requests with a larger check come in.
Sometimes we turn off advertising for 1-2 days when the client has collected applications and does not have time to process them. However, it is clear that even after a short break, advertising accelerates: there are no applications for the first few days.
In addition, the client connects SEO promotion. Let's see how this will affect the overall situation.

Case 2 - glazing and finishing of balconies/loggias
The client is engaged in glazing and finishing of balconies and loggias, construction of balconies on the first floors, installation and finishing of PVC windows. He started advertising with us in April 2021.

What work was carried out?
Initially, we connected and managed 2 systems: Yandex and Google - budgets for each system were 10,000 rubles. But after long discussions, we decided to disconnect Google and leave only Yandex.

First results
Applications started coming in from the first month, but their number was not as high as the client expected. In the 3rd month of advertising, we decided to turn off the advertising campaign for windows due to high competition. We left only glazing and finishing of balconies/loggias + their construction on the 1st floor.

Already in the summer, the client happily shared a photo of the contract amount that he had signed for 200,000 rubles. And then he sent a photo from the site. He said that the glazing of the loggia on the 10th floor, which all his competitors had refused, cost that amount.

Advertising ROI
For the first 3 months, advertising broke even.

In July, I brought in 5 monthly budgets from two applications.



Conclusions that can and should be drawn from this case
Contextual advertising responds to demand
And demand on the Internet is always uneven and unstable. For 3 months we advertised and received small applications, which did not allow us to recoup the context, but in the 4th month, the client received one large application among other applications, which allowed us to recoup all 4 months at once.

It is important to stand out from the competition
In highly competitive industries, it's important to have something that sets you apart from your competitors. In the second story, the client took an order that none of the competitors wanted to take, and ended up winning.

Advertising must be carried out for at least 3 months
If the demand for your service on the Internet is formed and your offer does not stand out much from the market average (an example when the offer stands out - everyone installs windows for 10,000, you - for 100,000 for a number of reasons - context in this case can also work, but you need to understand that the circle of potential clients is significantly narrowed), then most likely the context will become an effective channel for attracting clients to your company.

In order to be sure of this, in most cases you need to advertise for at least 3 months . This is the period during which you can check 1-2 assumptions about the strategy that suits you with small budgets. In addition, 3 months is the period during which enough data will be collected to make an unambiguous, well-founded conclusion about whether the context is suitable for your business.

The length of the transaction must be taken into account
In the spheres of our case heroes, clients make decisions quite quickly: refrigerator repair is an urgent service, needed now; more time is needed to decide who to entrust with glazing balconies. If clients in your sphere do not make decisions about purchasing/ordering a service immediately, this should also be taken into account when determining the advertising evaluation period.